Perspective: Reader as Writer Genre: Letter / Journal Audience: Counselors working with children Purpose: To propose an activity that counselors working with children who have gone through trauma or other life changing events could use to help the children better articulate their thoughts and feelings. Engagement: Children will be able to use writing as a means to articulate their thoughts and feelings.
Dear Mr. Henshaw is a book that affords many learning opportunities to the reader. Being relatable to many children, Dear Mr. Henshaw strives to engage its readers throughout the story. Although children may not have a favorite author like Leigh does, they hopefully have someone that they look up to. Also, they may not have had similar life experiences to Leigh, each individual child comes with their own unique set of life experiences; this book could afford help with understanding those situations. Working with children who have been traumatized or have endured other life changing circumstances can pose as a challenge for some counselors because at times these children are unable to form the words to articulate exactly how they are feeling or thinking about the situation. When it comes to serving as a mentor for one’s own writing, Dear Mr. Henshaw is a book that teaches children the power of both letter and journal writing in order to get their thoughts out when spoken words are not available. It also affords children the knowledge of how story telling is something that takes time and does not need to be perfect as long as it’s genuine.
Letter Writing
Leigh writes letters to his favorite author throughout the story. At times, Leigh becomes aggravated with the author because he does not respond in a timely manner. It is possible to use this idea and build upon it with children who have faced aversive situations in their life. In working with children, it is important to help them identify their feelings and to whom those feelings are directed towards. It is also important to validate those feelings for the child, especially if their anger or frustration is towards someone the child is supposed to look up to and love. Using the book as a guide, having the child write a letter to the individual they have intense feelings about could help with their healing process. When a child learns that they can have a voice and are able to place the blame where it is rightfully deserved, amazing things can happen with their healing.
Journal Writing
Leigh deals with some pretty serious things in his life. He is a child who is dealing with his father always being away and the inevitable divorce of his parents, and he has a lot to say about how it affects him. We see that by taking his favorite author’s advice and keeping a journal, Leigh finds some comfort and solace. He is able to focus on a new thing, his writing, and that helps him cope with the changes occurring in his life. Journal writing can be beneficial to individuals of all ages, but especially beneficial to those who need some sort of outlet when dealing with intense emotions and thoughts. Dear Mr. Henshaw is essentially a collection of ‘journal’ entries that gives the readers insight into how Leigh feels about his parents and his father’s new family. By being able to relate to either Leigh’s circumstances or the need for their voice to be heard, children can be encouraged to tell their journal, which is completely confidential, how they really feel. It can become their safe place to channel work through the healing process and to try and make sense of things.
Dear Mr. Henshaw
Perspective: Reader as Writer
Genre: Letter / Journal
Audience: Counselors working with children
Purpose: To propose an activity that counselors working with children who have gone through trauma or other life changing events could use to help the children better articulate their thoughts and feelings.
Engagement: Children will be able to use writing as a means to articulate their thoughts and feelings.
Dear Mr. Henshaw is a book that affords many learning opportunities to the reader. Being relatable to many children, Dear Mr. Henshaw strives to engage its readers throughout the story. Although children may not have a favorite author like Leigh does, they hopefully have someone that they look up to. Also, they may not have had similar life experiences to Leigh, each individual child comes with their own unique set of life experiences; this book could afford help with understanding those situations. Working with children who have been traumatized or have endured other life changing circumstances can pose as a challenge for some counselors because at times these children are unable to form the words to articulate exactly how they are feeling or thinking about the situation. When it comes to serving as a mentor for one’s own writing, Dear Mr. Henshaw is a book that teaches children the power of both letter and journal writing in order to get their thoughts out when spoken words are not available. It also affords children the knowledge of how story telling is something that takes time and does not need to be perfect as long as it’s genuine.
Letter Writing
Leigh writes letters to his favorite author throughout the story. At times, Leigh becomes aggravated with the author because he does not respond in a timely manner. It is possible to use this idea and build upon it with children who have faced aversive situations in their life. In working with children, it is important to help them identify their feelings and to whom those feelings are directed towards. It is also important to validate those feelings for the child, especially if their anger or frustration is towards someone the child is supposed to look up to and love. Using the book as a guide, having the child write a letter to the individual they have intense feelings about could help with their healing process. When a child learns that they can have a voice and are able to place the blame where it is rightfully deserved, amazing things can happen with their healing.
Journal Writing
Leigh deals with some pretty serious things in his life. He is a child who is dealing with his father always being away and the inevitable divorce of his parents, and he has a lot to say about how it affects him. We see that by taking his favorite author’s advice and keeping a journal, Leigh finds some comfort and solace. He is able to focus on a new thing, his writing, and that helps him cope with the changes occurring in his life. Journal writing can be beneficial to individuals of all ages, but especially beneficial to those who need some sort of outlet when dealing with intense emotions and thoughts. Dear Mr. Henshaw is essentially a collection of ‘journal’ entries that gives the readers insight into how Leigh feels about his parents and his father’s new family. By being able to relate to either Leigh’s circumstances or the need for their voice to be heard, children can be encouraged to tell their journal, which is completely confidential, how they really feel. It can become their safe place to channel work through the healing process and to try and make sense of things.